Arthur Levitt is an American public servant known for his tenure as Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from 1993 to 2001. During his time at the SEC, Levitt focused on enhancing investor protection and improving the transparency of financial markets. His leadership and reforms have had a significant impact on the regulation of securities and the functioning of financial markets.
"Although the Internet makes it seem as if you have a direct connection to the securities market, you don't. Lines may clog; systems may break; orders may back-up."
"What must occur is a greater recognition by investors of their individual responsibility."
"I think we have got to start thinking about banding together in terms of interested groups."
"Investors should start with a view of skepticism. They should become intellectual investors rather than emotional investors. They should be careful, and they should be skeptical."
"Once again, stock markets have been threatened with extinction for almost 75 years, and I have found that stock markets are harder to kill than roaches."
"The tension between centrality, on the one hand, and competition, on the other, is probably the oldest of all market structure issues."
"Today, the forces of competition, technology, and globalization have converged to spur innovation and to transform the way business is done in the securities industry."
"Our role is to maintain and monitor a framework in which fair competition can flourish."
"It is incumbent on us to facilitate the development of a market structure that best assures that these changes benefit the U.S. securities markets as a whole."
"Our purpose, as we face these challenges, remains clear - fair and orderly markets that allow for efficient capital formation, while protecting the interests of investors."
"Our markets have not achieved their great successes as a result of government fiat, but rather through efforts of competing interests working to meet the demands of investors and to fulfill the promises posed by advancing technology."